carpe diem
by Laura013
Summary: Castle tries to guess what Kate Beckett's wedding dress looks like. Castle/Beckett fluff one-shot COMPLETE


**carpe diem**

**(translation: seize the day)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I *still* don't own Castle. Or the characters. Damn.**

* * *

"Castle? You in there?"

Richard Castle opens his eyes hesitantly at the sound of his beautiful fiancée's voice. "Eh," he groans, the backs of his eyes burning at the white computer screen in front of him.

A soft hum of laughter escapes Kate Beckett's lips. "I'll take that as a yes."

Castle gets up from his desk chair, stumbling into the main room lazily, his red plaid pajama bottoms dragging on the floor behind him. He scratches the back of his neck anxiously, not helping the case of his very fluffy bedhead.

"What time is it?" His voice sounds strained against the efforts of sleepiness.

"Around 2:30," the female detective answers with a smile. Then his eyes snap wide open.

"That means I missed your bridal appointment!"

Kate's smile increases to full laughter.

"Good, Castle. You weren't supposed to see my dress," she says, gesturing to the large, puffy bag strung around her shoulder.

Persistently, Castle follows the young woman as she goes to hide the dress. "Come on, just a little peek?"

Kate smiles fondly again at her soon-to-be-husband. "No, Castle. Not until our wedding day."

Wrapping his arm around her waist in a foolish attempt to be romantic, Castle whispers, "Then let's get married now."

"No, Castle. The date is set, the venue is paid for, and plus, don't you want your family to be there?" Castle nods in agreement.

"I suppose," he concedes playfully.

"Now sit down and close your eyes, so I can hide the dress," Kate says, her voice filled with devilish mirth.

Castle sighs in mock despair, sitting on the black leather ottoman, closing his eyes obediently while Kate goes to hide the dress. Before his eyes snap shut, he notices the pinpoint of her heel snagging a tag on the bag, and the tag tears away. Kate doesn't notice this, so she continues to walk.

After she calls to him that he can look, he sprints quietly to grab the tag. He's back in his seat by the time she emerges from the stairs.

"Oh Ka-ate!" He calls her name in the sing-song voice he saves especially for pancakes and sex.

"What do you want, Castle?" she asks, attempting to be harsh, but the smile in her words is painfully clear.

"I'll make you a deal. If I can guess your wedding dress by the end of the day, you have to do something for me," he says excitedly

"Oh, and what do you propose?" she says, buying into his kid-in-a-candy-store idea.

Richard Castle opens his mouth, and then he shuts it abruptly. Then he opens it again, and then closes. His eyebrows knit themselves together, furrowing into a frown. Then his eyes light up.

"If I can find your exact wedding dress, and get you a photo by 8 AM tomorrow, you have to serve me breakfast in bed every day for a week, wearing nothing but syrup and pancakes for a week."

Kate's grin widens to Cheshire-Cat width.

"Okay, Castle. How does this sound? If you can bring me a photo of my dress by 8 AM tomorrow, then I will serve you breakfast in bed for a week, wearing nothing but syrup and pancakes. But, if I win, you have to buy doughnuts for the entire homicide department, and serve them wearing nothing but a doughnut and frosting. But feel free to add sprinkles."

Castle takes a deep breath.

"Deal."

* * *

"Hello, this is Ava's Bridal Boutique, my name is Caroline, how may I help you?" Richard Castle smiles with glee.

"Hello Caroline! My name is Richard Castle," he says in his sweetest voice. "There was a Katherine Beckett there earlier this afternoon, is there any way you could tell me what dress she purchased?"

On the other end of the line, Caroline chuckled to herself. Kate Beckett had mentioned that her fiancée might call, and she had given her specific instructions.

"I can do you one better, Mr. Castle. I can give you a flash drive with photos if you would be willing to drive down here."

"That would be lovely, Caroline. What time can I pick it up?"

"We're open 'till 6," she says sweetly.

"I'll be there in 15," he responds, hanging up the phone.

Castle leaps up excitedly, and he runs across the hall of his lovely New York loft to his bedroom, scampering across the black hardwood floor into his closet. He stops at the door of his closet, takes a step back, and shakes his head quickly.

Sitting on his bed was Kate Beckett. Wearing absolutely nothing.

"Castle," she pleas, patting the bed next to her. He smiles a completely different sort of smile and unzips his jacket.

* * *

"Crap!" Richard Castle sits straight up in bed, the sheet falling down on his bare waist. Kate Beckett lies next to him, covered in the same sheet lying over his legs.

"What is it, honey?" she asks innocently, knowing full well the bridal store closes in 30 minutes.

"Nothing, sweetheart. I have an… appointment… that I have to get to," he says, stopping to smile at his euphemism.

Kate sighs softly. He pulls his pants on quickly, and then he zips his jacket over his bare chest.

Kissing his fiancée on her cheek, he whispers a goodbye in her ear, then he runs out the door, Ferrari keys in hand.

* * *

"Morning, Castle," Kate Beckett sits at his table, wearing nothing but one of his button down suit shirts. The clock reads 7:52 am.

"Morning, Kate!" Castle says gleefully. In his hand is the flash drive from Caroline the bridal store clerk.

Kate's right foot traces against the hardwood floor, sliding apart from her left leg. Castle groans, then shakes his head.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, you will not distract me with sex. That's my play," he says sternly.

Kate sighs. "Alright, Castle, what did you find?" He smiles devilishly at her, grabbing his black laptop from off of the kitchen counter.

"Miss Caroline from Ava's Bridal Boutique was very helpful to me yesterday." Kate smiles. _So he found the bridal store,_ she thinks to herself giddily.

Plugging in the slim blue flash drive, Castle smiles knowingly at Kate. He can _just_ picture her wearing nothing but pancakes, her bronze skin covered in maple syrup. When the flash drive finally opens, he turns the photo to Kate.

Kate Beckett bursts into laughter. _So that's the photo Caroline chose,_ she thinks.

"What is it?" he asks innocently. All Kate can do is point at the screen, her body racked with giggles. He turns the computer back to himself and jumps back. On the screen is a pink clown, with a logo on the bottom.

"Courtesy of Ava's Bridal Boutique," Castle reads aloud.

He slams his fist on the table. "Damn it!"

Kate's laughter only increases. She slaps her hand against his arm, unable to make out words.

"I don't _really_ have to deliver doughnuts to the _entire_ homicide department, wearing _nothing,_ do I?" he asks hopefully.

Kate giggles. "No, honey."

Castle sighs in relief.

"You're allowed to wear a doughnut," she says, her voice freezing in laughter again.

* * *

It's the next Wednesday that he finally does it. Richard Castle walks out of the 12th precinct elevator, on the fourth floor, pink frosting stuck in his chest hair. He strides confidently across the floor, wearing nothing but a chocolate doughnut. Kate sits in her chair, shaking with giggles. Ryan and Esposito join in heartily. Castle plops the box of doughnuts on Kate's desk.

"There! Doughnuts for everyone!" he says, his voice filled with bravado. Then he whispers to Kate, "can I go put some clothes on now?"

Through the laughs, she answers, "no, you have to serve them!"

Castle sighs. He takes out three doughnuts, puts them on napkins, and hands them each to the three detectives.

"There. How about now?" he pleads.

Kate's about to throw in the towel when Ryan speaks up.

"Serve one to Gates."

Castle groans, but he takes a doughnut to Gates. The reaction on her face is priceless. It makes up for every inconvenience ever caused by him.

"That's a great guy you've got in there, Beckett," Ryan says quietly, his face still filled with mirth.

Beckett responds wholeheartedly. "He really is."


End file.
